1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic mail. More specifically, the present invention relates to electronic-mail filtering for mobile devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic-mail (e-mail) is a common method for transmitting messages over electronic communication systems. E-mail messages may be received and stored by an e-mail server, which may then forward the messages to a computing device associated with a recipient. Various e-mail programs allow for the messages to be sorted in an inbox and/or various folders designated by the recipient.
E-mail is also a common method for transmitting unsolicited messages. Unsolicited e-mail messages may also be referred to as unsolicited commercial e-mail, bulk e-mail, junk e-mail, or spam. Presently, spam messages may be sent in such overwhelming numbers as to make it difficult to find messages that are actually desired by the recipient. Various spam filters are available for preventing spam from being forwarded to and cluttering the recipient's inbox. Spam filters may identify an e-mail message as spam and then automatically delete or reject the message.
Some spam filters may direct spam into a specific folder for spam (e.g., a quarantine folder) instead of the e-mail inbox. The spam folder allows for the recipient to review a message to ensure that the message was correctly identified as spam by the spam filter before subsequently processing the same as a spam filter may incorrectly identify a commercial e-mail message as spam. For example, some commercial e-mail messages may be desired by the recipient. An individual may choose to subscribe to receive various commercial e-mail messages concerning topics of interest. In some cases, a spam filter may mistakenly identify desired messages as spam and filter out or delete these messages.
The problem of inbox clutter and reviewing messages in a quarantine folder is magnified when an individual chooses to forward incoming e-mail to a mobile device. Mobile devices make it possible for the user to receive and respond quickly to urgent, time-sensitive, or other types of messages desirable to the user when away from a personal computer. While the size of mobile devices makes their use and portability convenient, small size also presents some disadvantages. For example, because the display on mobile devices may be small, it is inconvenient for a recipient to visually browse through a cluttered inbox crowded with unidentified spam, commercial e-mail messages, and various other e-mail messages that may not be desirable to the recipient. The size of mobile devices may also make it difficult and inconvenient for the user to create e-mail filters, even if the user is knowledgeable enough to do so.
A further inconvenience of a mobile device is that the user may have to manually reconfigure the filter to reflect updated information or requirements. For example, the user may wish to adjust the filter to allow e-mail messages from a new contact to be sent to the mobile device belonging to the user. The user may need to add the contact to a contacts list, reconfigure the filter, and/or a combination of the foregoing for each e-mail account. Further, the user must use the smaller-than-normal keypad on the mobile device. The user may also have to make such data entries ‘on the go’ as the user is moving from meeting-to-meeting by foot or by some other conveyance. Being on-the-go only complicates data entry on a smaller than normal data entry device.
Other common-place factors in the mobile device world make repeated reconfiguration experiences even more inconvenient. For example, the use of a ‘triple-tap’ keypad may require multiple depresses of a single key to enter a single letter or number. Many devices utilize small display screens, which may make review of entered data difficult. The need to access more than one account (e.g., personal and work e-mail), limited time to access an account (e.g., only a few minutes before a lengthy meeting), and the need to have access to new data in near real-time further evidence the difficulties encountered with repeated reconfiguration.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for improved electronic-mail filtering for mobile devices.